MP3: Elliott Smith – “Thirteen” (Big Star cover) offered by Kill Rock Stars in honor of the release of An Introduction to Elliott Smith, out now.
That song is not on the compilation, but these ones are:
Tag Archives: Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith – Between the Bars
MP3: Elliott Smith – “Between the Bars” from An Introduction to… Elliott Smith, out November 2 on KRS. Originally on Either/Or.
A new “best of” compilation is sure to disappoint longtime fans, excluding favorite songs, but this Elliott Smith collection looks like a pretty nice starting point for newbies, despite its obvious lightness on the Dreamworks era (XO, Figure 8).
I’m happy KRS was able to license “Waltz #2 (XO)” since it’s arguably his best song. But to use the early version of “Miss Misery” instead of the finished version from the Good Will Hunting soundtrack feels a little disrespectful. It was cool to include it on the collection of outtakes, New Moon, but Smith was such a perfectionist when it came to his songwriting that I can’t imagine he’d be pleased to see this clumsy, unfinished version canonized on a compilation like this.
Album Streams: MGMT, Elliott Smith, more
NPR is streaming MGMT’s ‘Congratulations’ through April 13.
MySpace is streaming—with annoying ads—She & Him’s ‘Vol. 2’ this week.
And AOL/Spinner is streaming the following new releases through Sunday, March 28:
• Elliott Smith, 'From a Basement on the Hill' (Kill Rock Stars; MP3)
• Elliott Smith, 'Roman Candle' (Kill Rock Stars; MP3)
• Bettie Serveert, "Pharmacy of Love" (Second Motion; MP3, MP3)
• Mose Allison, "The Way of the World" (Epitaph; MP3)
More streams below. Let us know if you hear anything good.
Elliott Smith Remastered
MP3: Elliott Smith – “Last Call” from the remastered reissue of Roman Candle, due April 6 on Kill Rock Stars.
I was a little leery of the idea of anybody “cleaning up” Elliott Smith‘s debut album, but listening to this song has quashed my fears. It sounds fucking awesome. I just did an A-B test with the MP3 on my iPhone, and the new one sounds much better. We shouldn’t be surprised. The album remastering was overseen by Larry Crane (with Roger Seibel at SAE), who worked with Smith from 1996 to 1999, co-produced “Miss Misery,” and researched, assembled and mixed New Moon in 2007.
When KRS first announced that Roman Candle would be receiving the remastering treatment, I shot Crane a quick email with my concerns.
Today’s Playlist: Peter Ham’s Dream
Totale’s Lost Classic review of Badfinger’s Straight Up has had me on an early 70s power pop rave up. In order to fulfill my need for lush melodies, sly guitar solos, and backbeat drums, I’ve compiled a playlist of the bands surrounding Badfinger’s legacy: Peter Ham’s Dream (re-read the heartbreaking story of the Badfinger front man on Wikipedia).
There’s naturally a gang of Badfinger on this mix. If you’re going to wear your influences on your sleeves then do it with vigor! Be proud and be true to their vision…and yours. While too many will dismiss Badfinger as a poor man’s Fab Four, I revel in their absolute and unflinching embrace of the Beatles‘ later-day sound. They were, after all, disciples of the Fabs so why not be true to that musical message? It’s that musical legacy, as translated by followers for decades to come, that this mix is celebrating.
In mixes like this I prefer to use a band as a point of reference; the point from which the musical personality is derived. Instead of the Beatles as the point in this case, I like the focus being once removed from the source. Bands like Sloan and Spoon are as much influenced by Badfinger (the second layer in the scheme) as they are the Beatles (the primary source). That’s the point. To me it’s just as valid to create new music that shares more of a sonic palette with your influences than not. How that influence is translated and communicated down through the various layers is what allows for the continuity of sound as well as originality in execution. Can you dig it?
The recently departed Jay Reatard summed it up so perfectly in this New York Times article from August, 2009 interview:
The whole concept for me behind pop music is to take your influences and filter them through yourself, and then they become something new. I’m not trying to move forward and create territory that hasn’t been mined before, I’m just trying to do my version of something that I like.
Amen, brother.
Elliott Smith’s Roman Candle Remastered
On April 6, 2010, Kill Rock Stars is reissuing Elliott Smith‘s debut album, Roman Candle, originally released in 1994 on Cavity Search. The album has been remastered by Larry Crane, who shared a recording studio with Smith, produced “Miss Misery,” and mastered New Moon in 2007.
Larry explains, “The intention that I had was to make the album more listenable. I felt that a lot of the guitar “squeaks” were jarring and very loud, and that many of the hard consonants and “S” sounds were jarring and scratchy sounding. I felt by reducing these noises that the music would become more inviting and the sound would serve the songs better. When I went to Roger Seibel’s SAE Mastering, he proceeded to equalize the tracks a small amount and to make the volume slightly louder. We never tried to make this CD as loud as current, over-limited trends, but just to match the volume of the rest of Elliott’s KRS catalog in a graceful way. Please note that none of this album is “remixed” from the master tapes – it is still composed of the mixes Elliott created himself.”
KRS also got the rights to From a Basement on the Hill, originally released in 2004 on Anti-. Not sure how they wrangled that deal, but now all of Elliott Smith’s indie releases will be on one label. To celebrate all of this news, KRS is giving away a previously unreleased song recorded at Jackpot Studio in 1997.
MP3: Elliott Smith – “Cecilia/Amanda” (previously unreleased)
Via sweet adeline.
Elliott Smith's Archives: The GLONO Interview with Larry Crane
A few years ago, Larry Crane, editor of Tape Op Magazine, and Elliott Smith‘s friend and studio partner from back in Portland, become the official archivist of Elliott Smith’s estate. We interviewed Crane back in 2007 before the release of New Moon, a collection of mostly unreleased songs recorded between 1994 and 1997.
In the time since that interview, Crane has digitized over a terrabyte of audio from various sources. It seems that Elliott Smith was constantly recording. We caught up with Larry via email to see what he’s found since we last talked. He also shared some cool photos with us, including a scan of “reel 20” with songs from either/or and New Moon…and a mystery track.
Continue reading Elliott Smith's Archives: The GLONO Interview with Larry Crane
Unreleased Early Elliott Smith: Nine Inch Nails Diss Track
Video: Elliott Smith – “We’re All Friends Now”
This is footage shot by Mary Lou Lord somewhere in Canada in 1995. Lyrics are a badass smackdown of a music industry showcase for Nine Inch Nails:
The feedback starts and the singer yells
“I’d rather die than give you control”
But he’s already sold the whole damn thing for a big loan
Two years later, of course, Smith himself signed a contract with DreamWorks Records, but hey, when you’re young and snotty, it’s easy to be righteous. What a great find! Thanks, Mary Lou.
Via sweetaddy.
51 Live Covers by Elliott Smith
Rawkblog posts his 51-track compilation of Elliott Smith‘s complete live cover recordings:
The below tracks have been culled from years of research and dozens of live shows. Not every song has the greatest recording fidelity, but as much as possible, I chose the tapes with the best combination of performance and sound for this collection. […] It should be noted that Elliott was really a fan of the bands he covered — most of these were not one-offs, but songs he performed regularly.
Lots of Beatles, Kinks, Dylan, as you might expect, but his suprisingly faithful version of Blue Oyster Cult‘s “Don’t Fear The Reaper” (mp3) is better than anybody has any right to expect. “Come on, baby. Baby, take my hand. We’ll be able to fly…” And yes, assholes, it features plenty of cowbell. If you can’t get past a silly Saturday Night Live sketch to see that this badass invitation to suicide is truly a great song, you’re not a real music fan.
The “Walk Away, Renee” cover (mp3) will break your heart. Smith shares a lot of qualities with the Left Banke. Look them up if you’re not familiar. They’re more than just a one-hit wonder.
Ten Songs By Musicians Who Died Too Soon
Great topic of debate here at Matadornights: Ten Songs By Musicians Who Died Too Soon. Their list includes:
Elliot Smith “Needle In The Hay”
Metallica “(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth” (featuring the late Cliff Burton)
Jeff Buckley “Halleluja (live at Sin-e)”
Nirvana “Drain You (live in Seattle, WA, October 31, 1991)”
Buddy Holly “Everyday”
Chris Bell “I Am The Cosmos”
Matthew Jay “Please Don’t Send Me Away”
AC/DC “Let There Be Rock (Live)” (featuring the late Bon Scott)
Joy Division “Love Will Tear Us Apart”
Robert Johnson “Sweet Home Chicago”
I would add: John Lennon’s “Cold Turkey,” The Minutemen’s “Cohesion” and Johnny Ace‘s “Please Forgive Me.”
What would you add?